Stackable Luggage with Chamfered Edges for Automated Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual handling and management of luggage in the airline industry is labor-intensive and costly due to the varying sizes and weights of luggage items, which complicates the distribution of cargo weight on aircraft, impacting profit margins.
Innovation Solution
A standardized luggage system comprising rigid units with interlocking rail systems and chamfered edges allows for vertical stacking and easy movement, enabling automated loading and unloading, and featuring retractable handles and wheels for efficient handling and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual handling of luggage is used to accommodate varying sizes and shapes, then individual luggage items can be processed, but labor intensity and handling costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The luggage unit is divided into a first portion and a second portion that can be separated and reattached. This segmentation allows flexible configuration to accommodate different luggage sizes while enabling automated handling of standardized components, reducing manual labor intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail members and channels create a universal interface system that can accommodate various luggage configurations. The standardized interlocking mechanism works across different luggage unit arrangements, enabling automated handling while maintaining adaptability to varying sizes.
2Extent of automation
If standardized luggage units with interlocking rails are used, then automated handling becomes feasible, but the ability to accommodate non-standard luggage sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The luggage unit incorporates dynamic elements including retractable handle members that can extend or retract, and wheels that can be engaged or disengaged. These dynamic features allow the standardized unit to adapt its configuration during automated handling while maintaining compatibility with automation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking rail system allows smaller luggage units to be nested within or attached to larger units. The channels and rail members create a hierarchical structure where standardized components can be combined in various configurations to accommodate different size requirements while maintaining automated handling capability.
3Reliability
If luggage items are manually packed into ULDs, then cargo weight distribution can be controlled, but time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The luggage units are pre-configured with standardized weights and dimensions before being loaded onto the aircraft. The interlocking rail system and modular design allow these pre-configured units to be quickly assembled and loaded into ULDs using automated equipment, maintaining weight distribution control while significantly reducing handling time compared to manual packing.
Data Source
AI summary
A stackable luggage system comprising: a plurality of luggage units, each luggage unit comprising a body orientated to have an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein a leading edge of the lower surface and a trailing edge of the upper surface is chamfered to facilitate sliding movement of an upper luggage unit over a lower luggage unit when the luggage units are arranged in a vertical stack.